Sign-operating device



I Patented Feb. 18, 1930 UNITED STATS FREDERICK Gr. MALONEY, HENRY R.

ATE-NT OFFICE VOGEL, AND HERBERT B. WHEELER OF WINONA, MINNESOTA SIG-N -OPERATING- DEVICE Application filed October 2, 1926. Serial No. 139,077.

This invention relates to a sign or signal device, and while the invention is capable of many applications, it particularly is designed for use in streetcars or similar conveyances traversing fixed routes and'having designated stops. Modern street cars and similar conveyances make stops at certain streets or other designated places and the conductor usually calls the street or stop.

It is often difficult for the passengers to hear what the next stop is to be and confusion and difliculty are experienced by passengers especially those who are unfamiliar with the route.

' Itis an object of this invention to provide 2 tently movable by the conductor or operator to successively display the said designations.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a device comprising an endless member having the designations of the stops .30 thereon, together with means for displaying one of said designations, which member has means actuated by the operator for moving the same to display different designations,

the device having automatic means for stopping said movable member with one of the designations displayed.

,Itis still another object of the invention to provide such a device as set forth in the preceding paragraph in.which the endless movable member may be reversed and thus intermittently moved in either direction. 7 These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in COIIIlMltlOIl with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which 7 J Fig. 1 is a view partly in plan and partly 59 in horizontal section of the device;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in vertical section of the device, certain parts being broken away;

Fig. 3 is avertical section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2, as indicated by the arrows and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section takenion line 44 of Fig. 3, as indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, a device is shown comprising a base member 6 illustrated as of platelike form and rectangular in shape. The base member 6 carries a casing 7 also illustrated as of rectangular form, which casing has bearings at opposite sides thereof for a plurality'of shafts 8, 9,10 and 11 respectively, which extend from side to side thereof. The casing 7 also has a rectangular opening 7 a surrounded by a flange 7 While this opening may be disposed in various parts of the casing, in the embodiment of the in vention illustrated it is shown as at thefront.

thereof. The casing 7 also has the inscription Next. Stop thereon below the opening 7 The shafts 8, 9, 10 and 11 respectively have secured thereto rolls 12, 13, 14C and 15. A member of paper or flexible sheet material 16 has its ends secured respectively to the rolls 14 and 15 and extends over the top of the rolls 12 and 13 and is guided parallel to the front of casing 7 and in front of the opening 7 said member running over small guide rollers 17 disposedadjacent the top and bottom of said opening and carried onshafts also journaled in the sides of the casing 7. The member 16' has secured thereto at one side a plurality of spaced members 18 which project some distance above the surface of said member. The member 16 also has in scribed thereon designations of the stopsto be made by the vehicle, one of said designations,'Main Street, being shown in alinement with opening 7 Tension members'comprising spring arms 16 secured to and upstanding from casing 7 engage member 16 on Jro'lls 14 and 15 and prevent too rapid unrolling thereof. The shafts 10 and 11 project at one side of the casing 7 and have secured thereto respectively gears 19 and 20. The gear 19 meshes with an idler gear 21 journaled on a stub shaft 22 which is secured in the side of casing 7 The gears 20 and 21 V l f, are'adaptedto mesh with-a driving gear 23' carried on "a shaft 24 which is journaled inf a movable bearing 25 secured to the base member'6 by bolts or screws'26 projecting throughparallel slots 25 in the base thereof, whereby the bearing; 25; will-be guided rectilinearly by said slots and bolts.-- The bearing 25 is adapted to be moved by a hand lever 27 having a slot 2" at one end through which extends a screw 28 secured in a projection extending from the base of the bracket 25., The lever 27 is intermediately pivotedto the-base 6 and has a pin 27 b secured therein adapted to be engaged in either, one of a pair of holes 29 formed in a segmental plate 29falsofsecured to base 6;" :When ipinv 27 is I :in one of said holes 29 the -gear:23 meshes 1 with gear19 and when saidpin is in the other ofsaid holes, the gear 23 is in mesh with gear 21-. 'lhe 'shaft 24 has a worm wheel gear 3O secured thereto atone side of the bracket 25 meshin'g iwithaworm gear 31*which iscarlried onthe armature shaft 32 of an electrical motor. 33. mounted onabase'34 which isin' turn secured to the' base 6. The circuit for motor 33 is diagrammatically indicated in Fig.3 and will be supplied with current in the usualfmanner from line conductors 35 by a switch 36 which may be of any usual and suitable construction. The circuit for the motor includes the'conductors .87 and said circuit may be. closed by a switch 38 I which preferably will be in the form of a push button switch and will be disposed in a confately pivoted onthe screw 40 and is acted 7 uponbycoil spring43 disposed about screw 7 40 .to .keep oneendthereof in=contactwith thescrew 41s) that conductors 39' normally arefconnected bythe switch 42.; Th'esw'itch or lever 42 is bifurcated at one "end and has journaled therein a roller 44 which preferably will i be made 10f, insulating -material.

The roller 44 is positioned so that it is held against and rolls in contact with the upper surface of the. member. 16 substantially above the roll 13' and said roller is alined with the members 18 which pass beneath the same.

disposed atsome point in the streetcar or other. vehicle where the passengers may I readily View the designations displayed through the opening 7 a: in casing 7. 7 When the vehicle starts at one end of its route, the

member 16 will be largely wound on one of the rollers 14 or 15 andat th'istime the first i stop will be displayed through the opening 7 At this time also, one of, the projections 18 will be under'the roller 44'and switch lever 42 will J be out of contact .with screw 41 and the switch will thus be opened. If the stop dis,-

played'has been passed, the conductor willoperate the switch 38 which, as stated, will 7 be in the form of a push button or some Q throughge ars 31., 2 3 and 19. As soon as the member 16 is moved, the member "18 will move from'beneath roller 44 and the motor circuit will then also be closed through the conductors 37 and 39. Theswitch 38 need thus only continue to run and the member 16 be moved until the next: projection '18 passes under the roller This will'raise oneend-of roller44 'andjmove' its other end out of contact with screw 41, thus openingthemotor" circuit-at this point. The motorwill now be stopped and the next designation on member 16 will be brought into Q alinement with opening 7 and displayed th'erethrough. The conductor or'oper'ator, therefore,.need only operate the switch 38 as the successive stops are passed,

and the next stop will then be displayed; The passengers can thus readily see what the next sto -18am} will'hav'e' no difliculty in-locating their desired stop. When the vehicleha's 1 reached the end of its route and is to return,

movement of'inember 16 will" be reversed and r i the member 16 will be driven by the-roll '15 instead 'of the roll 14 and will be wound up on the roll 15 and unwoundfrom the roll 14.

The designations of the stops will thus" be displayed in reverse order as the vehicle returnfsfover theroute it has just traversed From the above description it =is' see1i that the applicant has provided a'ver'y' simple and eflicient display device for successively: dis playing thedesignations of the stops as the car or vehicle movesover'itfs route-. It-is thus unnecessary.v for the conductor to call I the stops andhe need merely press a'button and thestops are displayed. The'device is very simple and easily'operated. The same 7 w i t d c- In operation the device Wlll be carried or has been amp y demons m e ac P ous changes may be madein the form, de-

tails, arrangement "and proportions of the 'parts,-without departing, from the jscope of applicantsqnvention, which, generallystated,

; consists in a device capable of; carryingout the objects above set forth, in the novel'parts and combinations of parts disclosed and dc fined in'the.appended-chime What is claimed is A sign display device having in combination, a movably mounted flexible sheet having a plurality of stop designations thereon, a casing having an opening past which said sheet moves, said opening being of a size that one designation may be observed therethrough when properly aligned therewith, an electric motor, means for moving said sheet in either direction driven by said motor, said sheet having a plurality of spaced projections thereon, a contact member constituting a stop disposed adjacent said sheet, a pivoted arm having one end disposed over said sheet so as to be engaged by said projections and movable toward said sheet by gravity, the other end of said arm being adapted to engage said contact member, said latter end being moved out of engagement with said contact member when said first mentioned arm is engaged by one of said projections, a circuit for said electric motor adapted to be closed by contact between said contact member and the last mentioned end of said arm and a manually operable switch for closing said circuit independently of said arm and contact member whereby said motor circuit may be momentarily closed by said switch and said sheet will be driven by said motor until one so of said projections engages said arm, when said circuit will be opened and movement of said sheet is stopped.

In testimony whereof we atfix our signatures. FREDERICK G. MALONEY.

HENRY R. VOGEL. 'HERBERT B. WHEELER. 

